Handle control for tongue hitch drop pin



April 2, 1957 s. SCHMIDT 2,787,478

HANDLE CONTROL FOR TONGUE HITCH DROP PIN Filed April 6, 1956 INVENTOR.STEVE V SCHM/OT AND LE com oLf on TONGUE HITCH DROP PIN rStevensSchmidt; Wehster, Wis. 3 Application April 6, -1956; Sria1Nol576','585

1 ZClaims. "(Cl.'-280-"5I5) i This invzmtion, a hit'ch' I for connectingthe -ton-gue'- "of aa agon or 6f various other implements or'vhicles to.t-heizdraw bar of a "tractor, may. be 'summarizedbriefly :=as follows:

'ssecured" to a tongue 'for swinging-movement 111 an up-and-downdire'ction Tis an 'arm' having at one end a depending pin engageable inan 'opening-ofthe draw ;bar. At one end iot the arm is -a'n eccentri'c'washer 'adjusta'ble about "its 'axis -'into engagement -with the ttongue' to limit upward move'menbof said-end of the arm beyond aposition 'in-which the pin 'will still be dis- ";posed in an openingof aole-ids plate carried-by the utongueyso that the pin will' be' properlydisposed for rsmovement into the draw bar opening. For lifting the drawba'r 'thereis* provided an elongated handle ad- ".just'able as' tolength,-eXtending upwardly at an angle to'lthe arm, and fixedlyconnected between thehandle x a'nd arm is a conne'cting'bar alsoadjustable as to length for the purpose of varying the anglarilty of thehandle to the-arm.

iHitchin gand un'hit'ching'a t-ongued'implement 'is atime-cons'umingandsomewhatannoying task due'to-the tactthat one-seatedon the'tractor must dismount, perform the hitchi ng or u'nhitc'hingoperation, and then return to the seat. Accordingly, the main object ofthe invention' is'. to provide arr-improved "device, readily operablefrom the operators seat, for hitching and un- .hitching. the tonguedimplement.

Another. object is to provide adevice of theanature described whichwillhave a novel means for :adjustably limiting the upward movement ofthe arm on which the draw bar engaging drop pin is mounted, theadjustment being adapted to facilitate the interchange of drop pins sothat even if a pin is substituted for another of shonter or longerlengths, adjustments can be readily made to still insure that the lowerend of the pin does not move upwardly relative to the tongue any morethan a predetermined distance.

Another object is to provide a device as stated wherein a particularlyeffective means is employed for operating the arm between its upper andlower positions, from the operators seat of the tractor, said meansbeing readily adjustable to vary the angularity of the handle relativeto the arm, according to the desires of the particular user andaccording to the particular size or make of the tractor.

Yet another object is to provide a device of the nature referred towhich will be mountable upon a conventional tongue with a minimum amountof difficulty, will not adversely aifect the normal use of the tonguedimplement or of the tractor, will be simply designed so as to be capableof manufacture at low cost, and will be easily operable by the user.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

2,787,478 "Patented Apr. 2, 1957 "ice Figure 1 is a side elevationalview of thedevice 'c'onstituting the present invention, the full linesshowing "the same" in position to hitch the tongueto the draw bar, a d"the 1 dotted lines showing "the samein a irele'asing Figure t :is anenlarged, detailsectional view en fli'ne 4--4 of Figure 1 V V Aconventional tracto'r generally designated T -is"'-illustrated -ashaving a rearwardly"eXtending'draw 'bar10 falso of conventional design,having across-premherflZ formed with a--seriesof openings "13.Designated at 14 is' the' tongue of 'a w'agon or farm"'implement,"this"also-being, per '-'se,-conventional.

At the-forward end 'of the tongue-14; there aresecured, to the top-andbottom 'surfaces "thereofj'fiat, for- -wardly projecting' clevisplates16 adapted 'to straddle or em-braee the cross-member 12-ondispositionofithe tongue :in position to be hitched :tothedractor.

A flat, elongated plate'-18 issecured by bolts"2(l to the 5 tongue; a's'ub'st-a'ritial -distance-inwardlyfrom the forward-end thereof, andintegrally formed :upon the opposite: side edge portions 'of' plate 1 8are. upwardly projecting ears"22, -22 having transversely alignedopenings receiving a pivot pin *24,"pa'ssi'ng* 'throughian :opening"formed in the "-rearendportion-"of 'an elongated arm. v26

eccentrically disposed opening receiving a -'boltf31 whereby the washer-is connected to the .armfor rotatable adjustment to selected positions.

"Detachably' connected-to the arm*26,at the front end thereof. 'is' a apin 'rneans including a ,head 32. formed in- 'tegrally withadepending-tapered"drop pin 34 extend- 'a ble'dhrough 'a selectedopening 1350f the draw bar.

-By reason ofTtheconstruction. so far"illustralted.and desc'r ib'ed,-'it'willbe seenthat when the arm"26 is inits -"lower,' full line positionof "Figure ,1, thefpini 34 will extend through the verticallyali'gnedopenings offthe fclev'is 'pla-te lfi, and through an" opening '13,of'the. draw bar. "-As a re's'ult,""=the-tongue 'isefiectively hitchedto the tractor. In this position of the arm 26, the washer 30 iselevated out of engagement with the top surface of tongue 14.

However, when the arm 26 is elevated to the dotted line position ofFigure l, the pin 34 moves upwardly out of the opening 13, with thelower extremity of the pin being disposed in the opening provided in theupper one of the plate 16. Thus, the pin does not move upwandly any morethan is absolutely necessary to disengage the same from opening 13, andfurther, is maintained in proper position for downward movement of thearm 26 when the tongue is to be again hitched to the draw bar.

This arrangement facilitates a visual determination as to whether thepin is in proper position relative to the draw bar, for lowering intothe opening 13.

A hinge 36 is secured to the arm 26 adjacent the pivotal connection ofthe arm to the tongue, and secured to one leaf of the hinge 36 is anelongated inner handle section 38, the forward end of which overlies theinner end of an elongated outer handle section 40 having at its frontend a ring-like handle element 42 so disposed as to be convenientlygrasped by one seated upon the operators seat of the tractor.

Connecting bolts 43 are extended through registering openings ofsections 38, 40, and have been designated at 43. It will be understood,in this regard, that one or the other of the sections is provided with alongitudinal series of openings, so that the connecting bolts 43 canextend through selected openings of the series, thereby to adjust theoverall length of the handle defined by the sections 38, 40. v t

, Bolted to the-underside of the forward handle section 40,,intermediateopposite ends thereof, is an elongated connecting bar section 44, boltedto a lower connecting bar section 46 which, at its lower end, is fixedlysecured to the forward end portion of the'arm26. The sections 44, 46 canbe adjusted longitudinally of one another, through the provision of aseries of openings in one or both of these sections, so that theconnecting bar defined by the sections 44, 46 can be adjusted as tolength.

By reason of this arrangement, it will be seen that the handle isfixedly connected to the arm, and extends in acute-angular relationshipto said arm. The angularity of the handle to the arm can be varied asdesired, by selective shortening or lengthening of the handle and theassociated connecting bar. This is desirable so that the handle element42 will be so disposed as to be readily accessible to the operatorseated upon the drivers seat of the tractor. Further, the drivers' seatin one tractor may be differently positioned as compared to a driversseat in another tractor, again making adjustment of the handle positiondesirable.

In use, when it is desired to unhitch the [tongue from the draw bar, thehandle element 42 is grasped and swung upwardly. This swings the handleto the dotted line position of Figure 1, thereby elevating arm 26 todisengage the pin 34 from opening 13.

The hitching of the implement to the tractor is accomplished in the sameway, that is, after the tractor has been backed up to a proper position,the handle 42 is swung upwardly and the tractor is backed up slowly todispose the opening 13 below the now elevated pin 34.

The handle 42 is now released, and arm 26 will gravitate to engage pin34 in opening 13.

It will be understood that if desired, the pin 34 can be removed and adifferent pin, shorter or longer than the first pin, substitutedtherefor. When this is done, adjustment in [the position of the washer30 is made, so that regardless of the length of the drop pin, it willstill not swing upwardly beyond a position in which the lower extremityis disposed just above the plane of the top surface of the draw bar 10.

Any of various means can be employed to connect the device to thetongue, of course, and the plate 18 and cars 22 can, if desired, not beused. Instead, there may be provided a clamp for removably engaging themount of the arm 26 with the tongue. Various other means can also beemployed to advantage.

What is claimed is:

1. A hitch for connecting the tongue of an implement to a tractor drawbar having an opening, comprising: an arm adapted to extendlongitudinally of and above the tongue; a drop pin on one end of the armadapted to engage in said opening of the draw bar on downward swingingof the arm; means for mounting the arm upon the tongue for up-and-downswinging movement; handle means projecting upwardly from the arm toextend adjacent the seat of a tractor, for raising and lowering the arm;and means on the opposite end of the arm for engaging the tongue onupward swinging movement of the arm, to limit said upward swingingmovement, comprising a washer eccentrically mounted upon said other endof the arm for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the arm,said washer, in selected positions to which it is rotatably adjusted,correspondingly adjusting the extent of upward swinging movement of thearm beyond a position in which the lower end of the drop pin is disposedsubstantially coplanar with the top surface of the tongue.

2. A hitch for connecting the tongue of an implement to a tractor drawbar having an opening, comprising: an arm adapted to extendlongitudinally of and above the tongue; a drop pin on one end of the armadapted to engage in said opening of the draw bar on downward swingingof the arm; means for mounting the arm upon the tongue for up-and-downswinging movement; and handle means projecting upwardly from the arm toextend adjacent the seat of a tractor, for raising and lowering the arm,said handle means comprising an elongated handle extending angularly tothe arm and a connecting bar connected between the handle and arm, saidhandle being adjustable as to length, and having a hinge connection atone end to the arm, the connecting bar being adjustable as to length,thus to adjust the angularity of the handle relative to the armresponsive to an adjustment in the length of the connecting bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

